Your Teapical Love Story
by Shinra-ex-SOLDIER
Summary: Welcome to Heaven Scent. Come on in, all you who are weary and burdened, and tea. A teashop AU. So many tea puns.


**Your Teapical Love Story**

The tea shop AU that no one asked for. Or alternatively titled: **Too Many Tea Puns**. Honestly just puns stringed together trying hard to plot. Dedicated to my tea fact checker from tumblr  undertale-spam also my main pun man.

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Welcome to Heaven Scent. Come on in, all you who are weary and burdened, and tea will give you rest.

Or so Kate usually says upon greeting her customers and she still feels shy and proud about it all the same. After all, this is her tea shop. She has always loved tea and now she gets to share that love with others who feel the same way. Her heart swells every time a regular returns and it skips a beat when someone new comes in. Smiling comes to her naturally whenever she's here and sometimes the customers smile back too. She especially loves those moments.

The bell chimes as the first customer of the day goes through the door. From a glance, Kate could easily tell that she's new. The girl doesn't go straight to the counter, instead taking slow small precise steps and her eyes looking at anywhere but the counter. Kate feels a little surge of accomplishment when she sees the girl smile as she admires the shop. Kate's already wearing her own smile to match hers.

When the girl finally reaches the counter, Kate takes in all of her features. Short brown hair chopped above the shoulders with bangs that are shyly short from covering her eyes. Freckles dust along her face that complement well with her doe-eyed look. She wears a well loved jacket on top of a shirt with a jane doe print that suits her. She looks comfortable in her outfit despite the hesitant expression she's sporting. Kate recognizes that nervousness that comes with new places and so she wears her most heartwarming smile.

"Welcome to Heaven Scent. What would you like to have?" Kate greets her as soon as they make eye contact. It only lasts a second because the girl immediately looks away distractedly.

It takes a while before the girl responds and Kate patiently waits for her order. She sees the way the girl looks at the menu and the way she's not really looking at it. Her eyes move past the words too fast, as if she already knows what to have but is just finding trouble getting the words out. Kate doesn't miss the way the girl fidgets with the sling of her messenger bag or the way she shifts her weight from one foot to the other. She looks like she's deciding on something other than tea and Kate politely holds herself back from asking.

After what seem like minutes, the girl finally opens her mouth and with a not so confident voice she asks, "I've got a long day coming so do you have something that will keep me moving _oolong_?"

Kate blinks. Well she certainly didn't expect _that_. And from the way the girl stares back with eyes the size of saucers, it looks like it's caught them both by surprise. It takes a few long awkward seconds before Kate remembers that it's her job to respond first in these kind of situations. "Oh umm... So one cup of oolong tea then?" She asks, unsure.

"No, that's not what I—" The girl backpedals so fast that if her words could whisk her away then she would have already been out the door by now. She looks caught between admitting the pun and just going along because it failed as a joke. She stammers before settling with a dejected sigh. "Is oolong tea a good fixer upper?" She goes for the less embarrassing option.

Kate plays along and pretends that the oddly brought up pun never happened but only because she made the mistake of taking the joke seriously. She feels like this awkward exchange could have been prevented if only she had played along and the poor girl looked anything but comfortable at this fiasco. Next time she'll get it right.

So she wears her professional face for now. "I suppose it is to a certain extent. Although it's more common to go for black tea since they're highly caffeinated. Would you like to try that?"

Black tea is possibly the darkest tea, a savory flavor. It has a dry and earthy sort of smell to it. It has a lot of caffeine so it will definitely have you up and running. It has a ridiculously strong flavor and some can't take it without sugar or milk, sometimes both. Although it is a healthy option, it's not exactly something that is universally loved.

"Yeah, sure that sounds about right." The girl says although her face says otherwise. She grimaces slightly as if she's already tasted the tea and from her look, it's not exactly a taste that she's acquired.

"We have other choices if it's not your cup of tea." Kate smoothly offers without outright calling on her bluff. This is the girl's first cup here and Kate only wants the best for her.

"No, it's cool. I've decided. Black tea it is." The girl insists and she looks just a bit more sure this time. The kind of sure that says she's already resigned herself to her fate.

"Okay, I'll have your cup ready in a bit so please take a seat anywhere you find comfortable." Kate dismisses her as soon as she hands the girl her change.

The girl walks away with the speed of someone running away from awkward situations. It wasn't that bad, was it? She goes for a window booth and the tension in her shoulders melt away as soon as she slumps in her seat. Every now and then Kate would steal glances while brewing and every now and then she could swear that the girl is looking back. Or maybe not. She couldn't really confirm it since she'd redirect her eyes back to the tea as soon as they make eye contact. She feels a light flush at being caught staring but she denies both.

The tea is served a bit later than it should have but only because of a minor distraction on Kate's part. "Thank you for waiting. Enjoy your tea!"

The girl looks up distractedly and without skipping a beat, she says, "Well aren't you a cute- _tea_."

This time Kate gets it. She gets it _bad._

"Uhhh..." The girl opens her mouth at the same time her eyes widen in panic. There was something about the way she looks just as surprised as Kate that tells her she wasn't supposed to hear that. And if Kate's shock was bad, the girl has it worse, _much_ worse. She stutters and stammers and she's looking at anywhere but at Kate. "Uh, I meant uhhh, the tea! Yeah, that's it. The tea. It looks cute. That's what I meant." She winces at her own obvious lie.

But Kate doesn't call her out on it. In fact, she doesn't say anything at all. When opening this business, Kate expected a lot of things. But _that_? Never crossed her mind. It takes her by surprise and it takes her breath away. She's still processing. Was this girl flirting with her? Maybe? It doesn't look like on purpose. Maybe this girl just really loves puns since this isn't her first one. Yeah, that must be it. Kate wills her heart to slow down at the false alarm.

So Kate composes herself with a smile despite the growing warmth in her cheeks. Once she finds her courage, she looks at the girl not looking back at her. The girl looks even more embarrassed than what Kate felt. In fact, she bet that if the window was a door then the girl would have bolted out no questions asked. But the girl doesn't leave, instead she covers half of her face with her hand although that does little to hide her blush. Kate can't find no other appropriate word for this other than adorable.

This is quite the unexpected situation. She knows that the proper way to handle this is to casually dismiss it. And yet—

"Oh, then next time you should be more clear with your words." She doesn't really understand why. Maybe it's the stammer that sounds just as sincere as it is adorable. Maybe it's the freckles that dance along her blush. Maybe it's the pun that is just as much silly as it is flattering. Or maybe Kate just feels like saying something just as silly. "You look cute."

Kate swivels on her heels and doesn't look back. She's too busy hiding her own blush to check the growing blush she left the girl with. However she did manage to see the girl's jaw drop and she thinks that the tea might go cold if it hangs ajar any longer.

The girl doesn't come again for a while and Kate thinks it might be her fault for overdoing it. She instantly blushes at the memory. She honestly doesn't know what overcame her because she's never done anything that bold before, certainly not with a customer. She was actually hoping to apologize or something the next time she sees her but the girl is never among the customers who come in.

She keeps an eye out for brown hair and freckles but they never come in the right combination. Kate worries that she may never come again. But the girl does return eventually, two weeks later exactly, only this time it's near closing hours.

"Hi, I'd like to _chai_ something new." The girl says and this time Kate doesn't hear the nervousness in her voice.

"Oh, well we do have an assortment of teas. What would you like to _chai_?" Kate smiles as she goes along the joke this time. She feels silly but she likes to believe that this girl is sillier.

"No, really. I'd like to try some chai." The girl deadpans but the sparkle in her eyes assures Kate that she's joking. "But if you insist, I'm open-minded to recommendations. I guess I'll _leaf_ it up to you." She smiles wider at the drop of her second pun.

At this point, Kate's no longer surprised. This girl must genuinely love puns, she thought. She also thought that she had quite the courage to dish them out to strangers. "Are you planning to call it a night afterwards?"

"I wish. I've gotta cram for a deadline that really wants me dead." The girl rubs the back of her neck as if it's already sore. It probably was.

"Oh, that sounds terrible."

"No, that's the sound of me _procaffeinating_ until the last minute."

"That too." A giggle slips past Kate's lips. She wonders if this girl thinks up of puns spontaneously or if she's rehearsed this conversation before. Either way has Kate admiring her. "You look like you'll need a steaming cup of Gyokuro tea."

This is the sort of tea you grab when you're tired and need to wake yourself up. It's has a sweet taste despite it tasting a little like seaweed. The smell is so sweet and so inviting. Definitely a more welcoming alternative.

"Not black tea?" The girl raises an eyebrow apprehensively.

"Well if you're in it for the caffeine then black tea is the better choice." Kate supplies matter-of-factly. "However, I have reason to believe that you'll find the taste... not exactly your cup of tea."

The girl makes a face and sheepishly asks, "Was it that obvious?"

"You left your cup half-full." Kate adds and conveniently omits the part where she saw her add too many spoonfuls of sugar and milk.

"Hey, I prefer to call it half-empty." The girl corrects her with a pout. She blinks. "I'm surprised you even remember that."

"Well it's not that hard to forget." Although it's certainly not the most memorable part of that encounter. Kate does her best not to blush from sheer memory. "You left quite the first impression."

At this, the girl looks like she suddenly remembered just what else happened on her first visit. She tries and fails to cover the blush that came with the memory but unlike Kate, she ends up as red as last time. Kate thinks that red suits her. She looks just as adorable as she is embarrassed. "Oh my god that was embarrassing."

"So you say but you still keep at it with the puns." Kate points out with a well restrained laugh.

"I _herb_ it's healthy to have a good sense of humor." The girl casually shrugs. She would have looked nonchalant too if only she wasn't blushing so hard.

"It is. And you seem to be at the peak of your health." Kate giggles and somewhere in between, the girl joins her. She has a nice laugh too, she takes note of. "So does this pun-loving girl have a name?"

"Max." She says and Kate half expected there to be a pun follow-up. It's a nice name, she thinks. It suits her. "And you're Kate, right? I uh, read your nametag." She points out with a stammer, as if embarrassed for getting caught at wanting to know someone better but Kate is actually more pleased at her sincerity.

"Yes, it's Kate." And when Kate smiles it isn't just the standard that she gives most of her customers. This time her smile reaches just a bit higher. It's just a bit warmer. Just a bit more special. "Nice to finally put a name on you, Max."

"I _Max_ admit that it's nice to actually talk to you, Kate." There it is, the pun. Kate thinks that she likes Max already.

Max drops by more often after that. Kate suspects that the only reason Max didn't visit sooner is because she was still embarrassed by their first meeting. They hardly talk though, not any in-depth conversations. When they talk it's small talk punctuated with Max's puns. It's not exactly easy to squeeze in long conversations when there's a counter separating them and sometimes even a queue of other customers waiting in line. Even when Kate goes to her table to serve the tea, she rarely stays for long because she has other customers to attend to. But even so, they still talk.

"Kate, you gotta help me. I'm practically _drying_." Max says one time upon entering the store with all the dramatic flair she could muster.

"I don't see the problem with that. I've never had Max tea before." Kate quips and she never thought she'd be so comfortable exchanging such silly banter with a customer and yet here she is.

"And I'm telling you now that it'll taste like disappointment if I don't hit my deadline." Max complains in absolute distaste of herself. "And maybe peppermint. I've always imagined my flavor to be peppermint, don't you think so?"

"I honestly wouldn't know." Kate just shakes her head with a small smile. "So let's get you hydrated before we find out. What would you like to have?"

"Anything to help with the stress?" Max asks hopefully.

"Ginseng sounds like it would help," Kate suggests.

It's a well known herbal tea because of its medicinal effects especially on alleviating stress. It has a distinct taste of bitterness that lingers in the mouth but there's also an earthy sweetness to it.

"Ginseng sounds like something only old people would drink." Max says with a face that reminds Kate of her 'black tea face'. She raises her hands in polite gesture. "No offense."

None taken, should be the appropriate response but Kate feels like saying something different. She feels like saying something silly. So she hides a smile behind her hand, careful not to give the silliness away too early. "Well you got me. I'm actually secretly old."

Max mock gasps like a bad actress. "And you never told me? Oh, the betrayal!"

"You never asked." Kate points out, stifling her laughter because of course Max just had to play along. "And now you're going to be old too once you drink the ginseng tea that I'll prepare."

"So that was your plan all along! Well then if that's your game then I'll have you know that—" Max pauses for dramatic effect. "I gladly accept and I'll have that to go, please."

They share a laugh. It's nice and carefree and theirs. Kate didn't know how nice it is to share such a carefree laugh with a customer until Max came around. Although at this rate, Kate's starting to rethink their relationship because she talks with Max more than she does with her other customers. Calling her 'her favorite customer' might be pushing it. Perhaps it's more appropriate to call her an acquaintance or maybe more than that. Is it too early to consider her as a friend? Kate would like that.

Even if it is too early to name officially, she would like to be considered as friends with Max eventually.

"Here's your special aging tea." Kate winks as she hands it over the counter.

"Thanks! I can't wait to finally sit back in my rocking chair without looking pretentious." Max squeezes in another joke and Kate catches how charming her mischievous smile is. This is all so silly and maybe that's why this is all so fun. And Max in all her silliness, smiles. "I have to go, _tea_ you later!"

They talk a lot from time to time. They talk about the weather and how it's the same as the last time they brought it up. They talk about how nice and soothing the music playing is. They talk about how the tea is good as always because when is it not? They talk about what two strangers whose only connection is tea would talk about. They talk about seemingly everything and nothing at the same time. They talk as if they're the only two people in the world, sometimes. They just talk.

And then one day, they don't talk at all.

Or rather, Max doesn't talk and since Max usually starts these small talks, no talk at all happens today. She doesn't even go to the counter and instead heads straight for a booth in a corner, in a far _far_ away corner. She sits in a way that has her facing the corner and away from any faces. She sits to not be disturbed. Although this has Kate concerned, she knows that Max will come to her (to order) in due time.

Except she doesn't. She just stays there sitting in her corner with a face that God only knows what. At this, Kate's already run out of other customers to serve as an excuse. Well it has been an hour since Max had come in although Kate wouldn't admit to keeping track of her presence. She wonders if it's appropriate for her to ask but then what if she comes off as nosy?

She thinks she sees Max slump further in her seat and... did she just hear a sniffle? She's never heard that before nor does she want to hear it again. Whatever hesitation Kate had, had vanished and is quickly replaced with a strong sense of duty.

She sets down a freshly brewed pot and two cups on the table. Her heart immediately sinks when she catches Max inconspicuously wipe her eyes. Max pretends it didn't happen and Kate pretends she didn't see it. "Oh, sorry. I haven't ordered anything yet," Max croaks, her voice is dry and cracking.

"I know," Kate says in her kindest tone as she pours her a cup. "This one's on the house."

"What?" Max's eyes widen as she looks between the cup and the server. Her eyes are red-rimmed but Kate bites back any comment on them. Max shakes her head. "No, I can't possibly take this!"

"Yes, you can and you will. This is my establishment so I make the rules." Kate insists in an even tone. It's not even that demanding but it's still a tone that cannot be denied. It's the kind of kindness that's hard to refuse. She pushes the cup closer. "Now drink up, buttercup."

"Well if you put it that way, I can't possibly refuse the authori- _tea._ " Max jokes although it comes out half-hearted, without her usual energy. She sounds as if she's just forcing herself to appear happy although Kate doesn't comment on how much she's failing at that. Max doesn't seem that pleased for someone who was offered free tea but she takes a sip anyways. Her eyes widen at first and then they eventually soften. She pulls the cup away but her mouth is still open, overwhelmed. "Wow, this is..."

This is a beautiful shade of red. This is like almost looking into a dim sunset. This is a drink of that sunset, strong as well as sweet. This is—

"Red rose tea." Kate supplies with a hum.

"Comfort food." Max says anyways, almost overlapping with Kate's answer. She too is wearing a small smile that wasn't there before.

It kind of takes Kate by surprise but in a good way. "That's... one way of describing it, although this is the first time I've heard anyone say such." She takes a seat across her and pours herself a cup. She breathes it in with a content smile. "It is comforting, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Very much." Max quietly agrees and drinks the rest of her cup.

It's quiet. When they don't talk, there's nothing in between. No small talk, no silly puns, no carefree laughs. It's just quiet. It's the kind of quiet that has Kate restless.

Max looks just a bit better, comforted. But Kate isn't sure if this is just Max trying to look better for her sake. She remembers how lonely Max's back looked sitting in the corner, facing away from the world. She remembers how painful Max's eyes must be from quietly crying. She remembers how heartbreaking Max's sniffle was that Kate shouldn't even have heard.

She can't help but feel her heart reach out for her friend. She wants to do more than just offer her tea. She wants to help.

"I don't mean to pry but..." Kate's fingers drum lightly at the side of her cup, nervous. She honestly doesn't know how to go about this and maybe asking would just make things worse. But then she thinks of how bad this must be for Max and how it couldn't possibly be any worse. Kate steels her resolve as she finally asks, "Is something bothering you?"

"I didn't know this place offered counseling," Max comments dryly. She only looks at her through the reflection on her second cup of tea.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Kate recites from her heart perhaps in her own way to offer refuge just like it had more than once given her. "It's the Bible verse that inspired this tea shop."

"Huh, I always knew you were an angel. I mean, this place isn't called Heaven Scent for nothing." Max teases but the playful atmosphere never comes. Instead there's a heaviness in the air that makes it hard to breathe. Kate wonders if she should respond with her own joke but Max starts again, "Hey, Kate. What do you do?"

Kate blinks. "Pardon?"

"Sorry, I guess that came out of nowhere. Never mind." Max dismisses herself before Kate could even gather her thoughts.

"No, it's okay!" Kate latches on before she even understands the situation or what she's doing. But she feels like she'll regret it more if she lets this go so she doesn't take that chance. "I don't mind at all. I just didn't get the question. Could you elaborate? Please?"

Max stares at her for a while, thinking. For the first time since Kate has known her, her face is unreadable. She's always thought of Max as easy to read. She has this dorky smile whenever she busts out puns. She makes a sour face when the tea is too bitter for her taste. She sometimes snorts when she laughs too hard, most of the time over her own jokes. She looks exhausted when she's stressed although she pulls out reserve energy just so she could complain about it. Max is all of this and so much more.

But Max is never quiet. Never _this_ quiet. And now that she is, Kate realizes just how little she knows of Max.

"What do you do for a living?" Max finally asks after what seems like hours.

It's actually a simple question and Kate has no trouble answering. "I have this tea house that pays the bills. I also do freelance art for children's books sometimes."

"Do you enjoy what you're doing?" Max asks as a follow-up, leaning closer ever so slightly.

Kate pauses but not out of hesitation, rather she pauses to think. Across her is Max with the most serious face she's seen. And although Max is asking her, Kate can't help but feel as though Max is asking herself. She wonders if she should bring that up. Maybe she should but only after she answers this one first. "Yes, I do. Very much so."

"Why?" Max asks her again.

"Hmm, that's a loaded question." Kate puts her chin atop one hand and surveys her shop with a certain fondness in her eyes. "Well, where do I start? I just love tea and here I get to share that love with others."

Kate sees the flash first before she does the camera.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself," Max says as she pulls back her analogue camera with her first smile today.

Kate thinks she's missed that smile even though she knows how silly that sounds considering she only hasn't seen it for the most part of today. It's a beautiful smile. She has half the mind to borrow Max's camera and capture it in a photo.

"Thanks for the tea and company. I feel a bit better now." Max hands her the polaroid photo of Kate that she just shot. "Here, consider this as my payment. I'll see you again tomorrow, _darjeeling_."

When Max pulled out another pun, it didn't come out as trying instead it's just... silly. And Kate found their carefree laughter again in the midst of the silliness. She still keeps the photo from that day and steadily works on a drawing of someone in particular.

The next time Max drops by she's in a better mood. She's not exactly fully recovered from whatever ordeal she was facing but at least she's in a talking mood now. She doesn't talk about what exactly is bothering her but it's better than not talking at all. Kate will take that small victory and offer support as needed.

"I'm actually not the best. I could really use some positivi- _tea_..." Max says in a voice that's half joking and half exhausted. Her hair is more disheveled than usual and her clothes look like they need a bit of ironing. She looks like she could use more than just tea.

"So sorry to hear that," Kate comments sympathetically. "How does Earl Grey sound? I know it's helped me when I was down."

Earl Grey is known more than just for being the iconic proper tea. It has been proven that it helps with both anxiety and depression. It has light tangy taste of citrus, light like a margarita with a slice of lemon hanging on the side. The citrus taste isn't strong at all but the drink, itself, is pretty strong and sharp. It has a beautiful smell too and perhaps that's what is most comforting about this drink.

"I think I'd like that." Max nods or rather, she almost nods off but she keeps herself standing with a hand leaning on the counter. "How long would it take to brew it? You don't mind if I stand by the counter while I wait?"

"It's alright as long as no other customer comes in," Kate says knowing full well that this is a dead hour and no one else enters shop. "Kindly wait here then. I'll be back in just a bit."

She steals glances when she thinks Max isn't looking which is most of the time. Max is seemingly distracted with her thoughts to notice Kate's blatant staring and Kate considers that a blessing in disguise. Max has been looking more tired lately. Dark circles line underneath her eyes but Kate supposes that looks better than the red rims she saw from long ago. She also drags her feet when she walks, which shows just how tired she is. But when Max smiles, it's exhausted and it's also every bit genuine. And although her puns are getting worse, Kate can't help but look forward to them all the same.

"Here you go," She places the cup on the counter with a smile.

Max doesn't even wait a second to bring the cup to her lips. Maybe she should have waited out a bit more. She scrunches her face as she pulls away the cup. "Ow! I just burned my _lipton_ it."

Kate only groans at her antics but she does smile albeit behind her hand. She doesn't want to give Max the satisfaction. "Did you just wait specifically so you could use that line?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Max feigns innocence as she easily takes her second sip without complain. There's a smile on her lips and Kate has known her enough to recognize that smile as a sign to what's about to come. "I wake up _early grey_."

There it is. A pun that makes Kate groan and smile at the same time.

"Ha! I can see you smiling! Don't you dare hide that from me!" Max points, literally points, with a shit-eating grin.

Caught in the act, Kate has nothing else to lose at this point. She feels silly—she feels like saying something even sillier— so she wears her own shit-eating grin and says, "Now you're just _tea_ -sing me."

A pause. A jawdrop. And she effectively wipes that grin off of Max's face.

"Kate, did you just?" Max says in a voice that could only be described as pure awe. Or just overreacting in Kate's opinion. Max looks beside herself in shock for a good five seconds and then loses it. She absolutely loses it and laughter spills all over. "Oh my god this is amazing!"

" _Kettle_ down. You're disturbing the other customers." Kate admonishes but she almost snorts at the end. She doesn't know how Max does this without cracking up.

"Oh my god, you're killing me, Kate!" Max has to put down her cup at this point because she's laughing too hard, practically _guffawing_ , holding her stomach as she laughs harder.

And Kate laughs with her too although it's just an excuse to use for the glowing blush on her face. Honestly, how does Max do this without exploding from embarrassment? She doesn't think she could do this on a regular basis. But as she looks at Max who's practically crying—surely happy tears— she thinks that maybe once in a while wouldn't be so bad.

"Feeling better?" She asks once her friend settles down.

"A bit." Max smiles, less exhausted. She rubs the back of her head and manages to look more embarrassed than what Kate feels. With her other hand she raises her cup. Her smile widens. "This tea is absolutely taste- _tea._ "

Kate doesn't say any more puns after that but Max is more than happy to provide.

It's been a long month, a month or maybe two. A month and a half? Kate doesn't keep track anymore. Max comes and goes during that time and then she doesn't come at all, again. It has Kate worried if something happened to her friend. Unfortunately, as close as they have gotten this year, Kate seems to always forget to ask for her number. In fact, as much as she would like to consider them as close friends, she still has this irrational doubt if this is appropriate business conduct. It's silly, she knows, and sometimes she wonders if Max would think it was silly too.

Max eventually returns after nine days exactly—she knows this because she's been keeping track— and she looks better than she ever did the past month. She looks well rested, the eyebags are still there but at least she doesn't look like she's about to nod off to sleep, and her feet no longer drag on the floor.

She's wearing sleeveless and Kate finds out the answer to one of her curious questions: Does Max have freckles elsewhere? And the answer is yes, as she can see speckled all over her shoulders. Coincidentally, the answer to the follow-up question is, yes, she looks cute with them.

Max flashes her a brilliant smile and for a moment, Kate forgets to breathe.

Which is silly because how does one forget to breathe? Max, her brain answers but she shakes the distracting thought away. It's silly.

"Hello there. You look like you're in a good mood." Kate greets her easily.

"I'm having a _tea_ -riffic time. How about you?" Max beams as she bounces in her seat.

"Good. It's been a slow morning so it's relatively peaceful on my part." Kate answers with a hum.

"I hear that." Max nods a bit too enthusiastically. "Hey, what time do you get off?" She asks with a scheming smile.

Kate checks the clock. "Well this shift ends in like ten minutes."

"Great! You could just sit with me when you bring me my cup. Actually, bring the whole pot with you. I think we'll need it for a nice long chat." Max suggests with a hopeful expression that immediately turns sheepish as soon as she tucks her hair behind her ear out of nervous habit. "If you don't mind, that is."

Kate wants to point out just how silly Max's doubt is but then again she wouldn't want her to point out her own silliness. So instead she picks up from Max's leftover confidence and smiles reassuringly, fondly. "I think I'd love that."

"Great! It's a date!" Max exclaims too happily. And then the embarrassment kicks in just as quickly. Whatever suave confidence she had before has all been jumbled up into a stammering mess. "I mean a tea date. Not an actual _date_ date. Unless you want it to be one then that's cool too. But if not that's totally fine with me. God, I made this weird." She groans and covers her face as well as her blush.

"It's a date." Kate says although she's not sure herself under which category it fits. She surprises herself when she thinks she doesn't mind either way so long as they spend the time together. She'll ponder on the implications of that another day, for now she'll indulge herself with a bit of silliness. "I'll see you in a bit."

There's a pause before Max realizes that she didn't just make this up in her head. She immediately straightens in her seat and exclaims in one rushed breath, "Yeah! See you!" Her voice squeaks and Kate thinks it's adorable.

Ten minutes pass by slowly or rather, distractedly. Kate doesn't understand where all this nonsense nervousness is coming from. This is just Max. The same Max who stammers and fumbles with her words sometimes. The same Max who says puns like the absolute dork that she is. The same Max who just asked her out on a date. Oh.

Oh, no. She just made the mistake of making eye contact and oh gosh, is it just Kate or is Max extra adorable today? It must be the sleeveless shirt, Kate sees the blush spreading across her shoulders and she thinks it's absolutely cute. And contagious. She feels her own cheeks grow warm which she hopes isn't as obvious as Max's blush. Why is Max even blushing? This is silly.

This is silly. Kate feels silly. And she hopes Max feels just as silly too.

"I hope you don't mind Longjing tea." Kate says as she sets down the pot and two cups.

Longjing tea is just a great tea to have if you're totally fine and happy. It's a beverage just to indulge in the moment. It has a strong almond smell to it all the while it has a fresh and sweet taste, not strong at all. Just right. Indulgent.

"Are you kidding me? I've been _longjing_ to try this!" Max wags her eyebrows at her with the confidence of a standup comedian.

Kate just shakes her head. She should have seen that one coming. She politely smiles back and shoots back, "How _longjing_ have you been thinking to come up with that one?" She feels proud for not groaning at her own pun which is a remarkable feat in itself.

"Ten minutes? Maybe less." Max answers distractedly and then bursts out chuckling. "And that was awful, Kate. Copy pasta aside, at least mine fits better than yours."

"Copy pasta?" Now it's Kate's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean. Be more original." Max says and Kate sees it but there's hardly enough time for her to prepare herself. She's wearing that shit-eating grin and Kate can only brace herself for the impact. "Why don't you try other... _pasta_ -bilities."

"Oh my gosh, Max!" Kate hits her lightly on the hand but Max just laughs it off, carefree.

"What? It's okay to admit that you a- _dough_ my puns." Max dishes out pasta pun after pun as if she's prepared her whole life for this moment. Maybe she secretly has. "Don't tell me you've had enough because I still have _somen_ -y left!"

Kate's laughing so hard that she almost can't breathe. It's silly because who does that? This is the second time today that Max has her breathless and Kate feels too silly to care.

"Stick to just tea puns. This is too much!" She gasps in between her laughs but Max teases her some more with puns that shouldn't be this funny and yet Kate laughs at them all the same.

A cup of tea later and Max has exhausted all of her puns— for pasta, for now. At this point they're both red in the face and there's this warmth that feels like it's more than just from the blush. Kate feels warm and happy and— _silly_. Ridiculously silly. And as she looks back at Max whose grin is just as ridiculous, she thinks that she always feels silly around Max.

She thinks that she likes silly.

"Why did the hipster burn her tongue?" Kate asks when it's her turn to tell a joke.

"I dunno, why?"

"Because she drank her tea before it was cool."

"Pfft! That's awful!" Max snorts and then guffaws.

"I think it was a good joke." Kate takes a discreet sip of her tea in order to hide the obvious blush. She will never get used to the embarrassment that comes with awful jokes. Although she would never admit to Max that it was awful. "I think it was perfect for you."

"You think that's perfect for me? Let me tell you what's perfect for you." Max clears her throat. The sparkle in her eyes shows just how much she's enjoying this. "How does Moses make his tea?"

"Hebrews it!" Kate answers promptly with a cheeky smile.

Max's mouth is still open, hanging, until she closes it with a frown. She looks more disappointed than pleased by Kate's interruption. "Okay but just for the record, I saw the punchline in your hipster joke early but you don't see me stealing it." She pouts, which is cute, and Kate thinks she's doing this on purpose now.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist." Kate giggles and she sees Max's face soften just a bit.

"Now that's just a _bancha_ excuses."

The rest of the date is just as silly and in all that silliness, Kate forgets again to ask for her number.

Max comes into the shop on a schedule. There's no actual official schedule given by Max herself but Kate has taken note of the days she does visit and extrapolates a schedule from there. On these days Kate takes out the cup she has especially for Max. It's silly. The tea shop has become a second home to Kate and she treats Max like she's coming home. To _their_ home. And Kate just feels sillier.

"You look _brew-tea_ -ful today as always." Max greets her with another terrible pun.

It's awful but it's awfully silly enough to make Kate smile. And maybe blush a bit. She never gets used to the compliment ones. "Well that's a new one."

"Hey, I think it was pre- _tea_ good!" Max says and although she doesn't stammer, the blush is more than telling. "And you're plen- _tea_ pre- _tea_ too."

"I think that's _tea_ much." Kate's eyes crinkle. She might hear so many terrible puns from Max but she isn't any better than her. "Think you can wait for half an hour?"

"Of course I'm willing to wait for my favorite tea person!" Max exclaims as if she'd _kettle_ —sorry, it's a habit now— for anything else. "As always, I'll have what you recommend. _Matcha_ -ppreciated."

Kate just rolls her shoulder with a laugh. She knows that if she stayed any longer, Max would never let her _leave_.

"Hey Max. What's your favorite tea?"

It's quiet now. They don't always talk but it's not as stifling as the first time. It's the kind of quiet where one can hear oneself think. And Kate thinks, this isn't so bad. There's a content smile on her lips and across her is Max wearing the same smile. It's the kind of quiet that one can only share with certain people— certain _close_ people. It's been a long while now since Max first stepped into shop and Kate is comfortable enough to call her a friend.

Maybe more than a friend.

The kind of relationship one makes through awful puns and tea dates— whatever you call that.

She wonders if the name sounds as silly as she feels.

"Hmm, I don't know." Max answers thoughtfully and then she takes a sip distractedly. She blinks slowly, almost as if she's in a daze, entranced. "What's this one called?"

"Chamomile," Kate almost hums the name, light and warm.

Chamomile tea is a sip of pure goodness. It helps with so many things such as sleep or when you're sick or in pain. It has a more vibrant yellow to its color, kind of like drinking in sunshine. It smells like flowers and spring and new beginnings. It's a very light drink and has a sweet flowery taste. It's the kind of tea that's hard not to love. It's her favorite.

"Mmmm..." Max hums as she takes another sip.

There's a long pause and all Kate hears is her own thoughts. So quiet.

"Yeah, I guess I like this one the best." Max finally decides with a smile that Kate thinks is beautiful.

She wonders if Max can hear her thoughts too.

"Me too." Kate whispers with contentment on her lips. She doesn't understand why but hearing Max have the same favorite tea as her, she feels ridiculously happy. She feels silly.

"Really?" Max laughs and it almost sounds like pleasant music to her ears. "Is it silly if I say that makes me crazy happy?"

Kate feels giddy knowing that Max feels just as silly.

"Not at all." She hums her approval.

"Oh, this calls for a photo op!" Max excitedly announces and she's already scooting over to Kate's side with her camera on hand.

This is silly. Max with all of her awful puns is silly. Kate laughing at the said awfully funny puns is silly. These tea dates of theirs is silly. Max and her sitting together to fit in the shot is silly. And Kate has never known so much silliness until she met Max. This is all just so silly and Kate— Kate _likes_ silly.

So when the camera flashes, Kate does something just as silly, if not more.

Max blinks at first. Not quite sure what happened or not quite believing it happened. Maybe it didn't. Kate finds it hard to believe it herself. But when the photo develops, there is evidence. There's undeniable proof of the silliness that just happened and Max still looks like she doesn't quite believe it.

"Y-you just k-kissed me!" Max stammers with her fingers lightly brushing at where soft lips touched her cheek.

"Yes, I did," Kate admits and although she did instigate it, it doesn't make her blush any red. Despite sounding so calm, her heart is anything but.

Max's mouth still hangs agape, in disbelief. The kind of disbelief that sounds like a dream came true. She sounds in awe. "Why?"

Because Kate likes Max's terrible puns. Because she likes how confident she acts when saying the puns. Because she likes how cute her blush is when she gets embarrassed. Because she likes how dazzling her smile can be when she's happy. Because she likes how fun it is to laugh because of her, and with her. Because—

"Why not, silly?" Kate shyly smiles back.

And Max is always so silly around Kate so she shouldn't be surprised when she does something equally silly.

Like kissing Kate.

Only on her cheek too. But still.

It's silly because they're both blushing madly.

"I guess you could say that..." Max takes in a deep breath and holds it in along with Kate's stare. There's a certain seriousness in her eyes that Kate can't quite place and it makes her heart beat faster in anticipation. Her lips part and then she says, "The kiss was recipro- _Kate_ d."

And between the two of them, Max will always be sillier.

"Maaaax!" Kates groans as she shoves her laughing form away from her, stifling her own giggles.

This is silly but Kate can't imagine being this silly with anyone other than Max.

* * *

I know it's no **Even Angels Need Angels** update but hopefully you'll accept this peace offering.

Honestly this was harder for me to write because? happy? carefree? no death looming over? what the hell? My brain kept giving me these cryptic suggestions on how to make this au vaguely connected to time powers. Anyways, I tried to keep it as simple as tea shop aus go. You know, light and gay.

I hope you liked this because it can't get any happier than this. Which tea scene was your fav?


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